China, March-December 1972

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 523, Country Files, Far
East, China, Vol. X. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the
White House. According to a March 20 covering memorandum by
Froebe, Kissinger approved this memorandum
of conversation “with no further distribution to be made.” Memoranda
of conversation between Kissinger and the ROC Ambassador to the United States are also in the
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Memoranda of
Conversation. On February 24 Shen met briefly with Clark MacGregor
at the White House to “elicit some background information from me on
‘how things were going in Peking.’ “ Shen requested a meeting with
Kissinger on February 29
or March 1 and a meeting with Nixon on March 2, 3, or 4. (Memorandum from
MacGregor through Kissinger
to Nixon, February 25;
National Archives, Nixon
Presidential Materials, NSC Files,
Box 523, Country Files, Far East, China, Vol. X) See Document 207 for a record of Shen’s March 6 meeting with
Nixon and Kissinger.

Source: National Archives,
Nixon Presidential
Materials, NSC Files, Box 529,
Country Files, Far East, Homer, US–PRC Negotiations,
Paris. Top Secret; Nodis; Homer.
Sent for information. A typed note attached to the document reads:
“Mr. President: Tab A has been removed and is available if you wish
to see it. BAK, Staff Secretary.”

Source:
National Archives, Nixon
Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, President’s
Office Files, Box 88, Memoranda for the President. Secret; Nodis. According to the President’s
Daily Diary, the meeting was held from 4:08 to 5:02 p.m. (Ibid.,
White House Central Files)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 523, Country Files, Far
East, China, Vol. X. Secret. Sent for action. Concurred in by
Holdridge and Kennedy.
Attached was a March 31 covering note from Kennedy to Kissinger, which reads in its
entirety: “Henry: This all
adds up to a suggestion that we need to cool off all comment on
Taiwan force levels and stop further pronouncements. It would be
best handled by a call from you to Secretaries Laird and Rogers or a call from Haig to Eliot and Pursley, if you agreed that this
is the course to be followed.” Kissinger’s handwritten comment on this note read:
“I want no reductions made on Taiwan until
end of VN war under any pretext.”

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 330 77
0094, China (Reds), 1972. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Doolin on April 7 and approved by
Nutter. Copies were sent
to Laird, Rush, and Nutter. A notation on the
memorandum indicates that Laird saw it. The meeting was held in the White
House Situation Room. The time and place of the meeting are taken
from a more extensive record in National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials,
NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 93,
Country Files, Far East, China Trade/Exchanges, February 2,
1972–July 4, 1973, 2 of 2.

Source: National Archives,
Nixon Presidential
Materials, NSC Files, Box 849,
President’s File—China Trip, China Exchanges. No classification
marking. According to an attached April 3 memorandum from Lord to Kissinger, Lord delivered the message to PRC representatives in New York on the
evening of April 3. See Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–13,
Document 119.

Source: Library of Congress,
Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 295, Memoranda to the President, April 1972. Secret.
Sent for information. A notation on the memorandum indicates the
President saw it. An April 17 covering memorandum to Kissinger indicates that Lord drafted this memorandum.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials,
NSC Files, Box 523, Country
Files, Far East, China, Vol. X. Secret. Sent for information. Sent
through Haig. Kissinger’s handwritten comment at
the top of this memorandum reads: “What are the answers to these
questions? Zumwalt
freewheels too much.”

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 523, Country Files, Far
East, China, Vol. X. Secret; Sensitive. According to the attached
May 10 covering memorandum from Froebe to Kissinger through Holdridge, Kissinger approved this memorandum of conversation
and wanted no further distribution of it. The meeting was held in
the White House from 3:20 to 3:35 p.m. (Library of Congress,
Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438 Miscellany, 1968–1976,
Record of Schedule)

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, FT 1 CHICOM–US. Secret;
Nodis; Homer. The typewritten
date on this memorandum, June 10, was changed by hand. Also issued
as a Council on International Economic Policy Decision
Memorandum.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 97, Country Files—Far
East, China, Dr. Kissinger’s
Visit June 1972, Memcons (Originals). Top Secret; Sensitive;
Exclusively Eyes Only. This meeting was held in the Great Hall of
the People. Kissinger sent a
brief synopsis of this meeting to Haig on June 20. Haig then prepared a 1-page memorandum for the
President. (Ibid.) The first meeting was held the evening of June
19. In a June 19 telegram to Haig, Kissinger described this meeting as “inconclusive.”
The 11-page memorandum of conversation is ibid. In addition to the
Kissinger–Chou meetings,
counterpart talks were held among Jenkins, Holdridge, Solomon, Chang
Wen-chin, Tsien Ta-yung, and Chao Ch’i-hua. They
discussed trade and exchanges. Memoranda of conversation for the
June 21 and 22 meetings are ibid., Box 87, Country Files—Near East,
PRC Counterpart Talks,
1971–1973. See Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–13,
Documents 140–144.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 97, Country Files–Far
East, China, Dr. Kissinger’s
Visit June 1972 Memcons(Originals). Top Secret; Sensitive;
Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held at a “Guest House (near
Villa #5).” Kissinger and
Chou also met from 7:10 to 7:35 p.m. on a boat near the Summer
Palace. They discussed the first Sino-Japanese War, the
Russo-Japanese War, the history of imperialism, and the Communist
Party in China. A final meeting was held from 11:03 p.m. on June 22
to 12:55 a.m., June 23. During this meeting, Kissinger and Chou largely
reiterated the points made in their earlier meetings. These
memoranda of conversation are ibid. See Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–13,
Documents 145 and 146.

Source: National Archives,
Nixon Presidential
Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 97,
Country Files–Far East, China, Dr. Kissinger’s June 1972 Visit. Top Secret; Sensitive;
Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for information. A notation on the
memorandum indicates the President saw it. The President wrote on
the first page: “K—an excellent account. In the long run this is
more important than day to day substance.” Kissinger also forwarded to
Nixon a June 27 16-page
memorandum that reviewed the substance of the trip. (Ibid.)
Nixon wrote on that
memorandum, “Superb job—covers all the bases with expert tactics.”
He also underlined much of the text. See Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–13,
Document 147. Summary memoranda by Holdridge and others who
accompanied Kissinger on the
June trip are in National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 97, Country Files–Far
East, China, Dr. Kissinger’s
June 1972 Visit.